VVS Laxman, India’s stand-in coach for the Zimbabwe tour, is mighty impressed with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi but also had a piece of advice for the youngster, urging him to work on his overall fitness. The Zimbabwe tour saw Sooryavanshi put behind the disappointment of the England tour. In the three T20Is, the young opening batter smashed 151 runs, which was enough for him to be judged as Player of the Series. The first T20I saw him become the youngest half-centurion for India in T20Is, and he capped the tour off with a swashbuckling knock of 81 runs in the third and final match.
The Zimbabwe series also saw Sooryavanshi deliver impressive performances in the field, pulling off some good catches. However, Laxman wants him to work on his fitness so that he emerges as a perfect team player going ahead.
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The final T20I also saw Sooryavanshi get injured while attempting a diving catch, but he insisted on staying in the field as he wanted to be there.
“The one area we want him to improve is his overall fitness. He’s a very young boy. He himself wants to get better in every aspect of the game. Even today, when he got injured (while attempting a diving catch running in from deep square leg), he still wanted to stay on the field,” Laxman told reporters after the end of the third T20I.
“It was our physio who asked him to come off. That’s the eagerness and earnestness he has to contribute in every possible way to the team,” he added.
‘Pressure handling’
Sooryavanshi’s performance in Zimbabwe was the main reason behind India registering a whitewash over the hosts, winning all three T20Is. The next step for the youngster is the Asian Games, where he’s likely to feature in all games starting with the quarter-finals.
Laxman added that he is not at all surprised by how Sooryavanshi has taken to international cricket, saying the youngster has a long career ahead.
“Even last year, when he played for the Rajasthan Royals for the first time, the way he handled pressure was impressive. I believe any IPL match is equivalent to an international match. At 14 or 15, when you’re playing in the IPL, you can either be overawed by the occasion or embrace the pressure. I think he chose the second option,” said Laxman.
“So I’m not surprised by the way this series has gone. He was disappointed not to get a hundred, but we told him it wouldn’t be the first or last opportunity he’d get. He’s got a long career ahead, and he has the attitude and mindset to improve every day. I’m sure he will progress and break all the records at the international level. He’s got all the potential and ability to do that,” he added.